A watercooler moment with... John Lee

A watercooler moment with John Lee, co-founder of Wealth Dragons, the promoter of events, trainings and mentorships

In a nutshell, what does Wealth Dragons do?

Wealth Dragons are promoters of self-education programmes for people stuck in a rut but don’t have the confidence or skills to make a definitive change to their financial lifestyle. We bring that confidence out in them.We all have a different perception of ‘success’ and Wealth Dragons try to help define a future path that leads to ‘healthy wealth’ and ‘wealthy health’ for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Where did the idea for Wealth Dragons come from?

Vincent Wong and I met at the right time in our respective lives. We were brought together by a common interest in wealth creation and sharing this knowledge and inspiration with others. We started off in property and built our own multi-million pound portfolios from scratch. With the combined experience and passion in teaching others, we decided to form Wealth Dragons in order to promote self-development. Being Anglo-Chinese, we believed the name Wealth Dragons to be highly appropriate for what we stand for and what we help people become.

When did you start up?

2008.

How has it gone so far?

So far we have gone from strength to strength. Wealth Dragons is becoming the fastest growing company in our industry albeit not without setbacks along the way, as in all businesses. Entrepreneurship is about learning from mistakes and being persistent. We've made plenty of mistakes but the difference is knowing how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and learn in order to better yourself and the business.

What has been the biggest challenge so far?

Our biggest challenge really has been promoting the idea of self-development to the general public and helping them believe that they have a choice in life. People are so conditioned by their upbringing and the society that it is often difficult for them to see that there is another life other than the rat race.

How would you say you differentiate yourself from the competition?

Our expertise and USP’s are based on both macro and micro levels. We are the only organisation in our field with established experience and legal systems in place to support what we teach both in Asia and parts of Europe outside the UK. Our mentorships are tailored to the individual and cover key vital aspects of personal and professional development. Furthermore, we don’t only inspire and encourage others to create passive income streams but also maximise business offerings and offer public speaker training, showing individuals how to monetise their online and offline presence.

What has been the best decision you have made to-date?

Establishing a foothold within Asia and Europe. We have systems and structures in place that are legal and relevant to other international markets. We also have local knowledge within Singapore and Malaysia for example as our family roots are based in Asia. This has been a great decision because we truly believe that we’re beginning to see this market take off.

Where do you see the business in 12 months’ time?

Expanding elsewhere internationally and with a clear and consistent vision for the UK division. Our new corporate collateral will be in place as well as Wealth Dragons products available for sale and the publication of Wealth Dragons books. Eventually, we want self-development to be available to everyone in every country. It’s obviously an incredibly ambitious target but we’re incredibly motivated and nothing is impossible.

If you had one piece of advice for entrepreneurs, what would it be?

Enjoy life. It is short and don’t go to your grave saying “I wish I had…”. If you want to change your life, don’t wait and procrastinate or listen to the negative people around you. And watch your cash flow like a hawk, especially if you are just starting out.